Life-saving raft.



P. WARMINSKI.

LIFE SAVING RAFT. APPLICATION FILED IAN. Is. ma.

touted, Apr. 23, 1918.

mlm@ stetterafrnnr @tribu Horn wAaMInsKnor Banrlvronn, MARYLAND.

Linn-envias anni?.

Application filed January 19, 1918. Seria1No.`212,599.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, PIoTR VVARMINSKI, a

citizen of Russia, residing at Baltimore, inf

for immediate use in the case'of shipwreck.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a raft of link formation adjustable in dimensions having a plurality of different kinds of floating means and with foldable storage compartments.

A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a readily vserviceable device for saving the lives of a large number Yof persons in the event of shipwreck, the structure possessing great strength, being easy and ineXpensiveto manufacture and readily carried on shipboard.

In the drawings forming a part of this application in which like characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a view of a portion of the device partly in side elevation and partly in section with members indicated by dotted lines in their folded arrangement,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a portion of the device Awith one float member shown in horizontal section and Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal sectional view of one of the float members.

My device consists of a plurality of floats 10 flexibly connected together by means of links 11, whereby a life raft is formed adapted for folded arrangement when not in use and for flat outstretched arrangement when employed for the purposes for which it is designed.

Each of thefloats 10 is identical in form comprising a solid block 12 of wood, cork or similar buoyant material with a metallic plate 13 mounted upon one face thereof. A casing 14 having a flange 15 is adapted to seat upon the plate 13 in closing arrangement and is provided with a rib 16 positioned within a ground seat or groove 17 in the outer face of the plate 13.

An )(-shaped brace 18 is positioned with- 'p Specification of Letters Patent.

` able.

ratentea am. as, raie.'

in a correspondingly formed groove 19 in the bottom of the block 12 while rivets 20 are'connected between the brace 18 and the flange 15 of the casing 14, the said rivets projecting and secured through the block 12 and plate 13. A similar rivet 21 extends centrally through the plate 13, block 12 and brace 18, it being seen that the casing 14 may be removed without disconnecting the lsaid brace, block and plate.

r1`he casing 19 is formed air-tight in this manner and is preferably sealed having a threaded closure plug 22 in one side thereof while one or more of the casings 14 may be provided with a door 23 threaded in the top of the casing and whereby stores or provisions maybe provided for the use of persons positioned upon the raft.

It will be understood that when a plurality of the floats 10 are connected together by the links 11, the device may be spread out for floating upon the water and supporting persons positioned thereon. The solid floats 12 and the sealed casings 14 maintain the raft afloat and the same may be positioned either side up as found desir- Some or all of the links 11 permit adjacent ones of the floats 10 to be arranged in folded relations whereby the device may be set up as a barrier or wall upon the deck of a vessel when not desired for use in the water, such folded arrangement being illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The device possesses great strength and by reason of the double form of buoyant members employed for each float, the same is well calculated for service in time of shipwreck in saving the lives of a large number of people.

What I claim as new is 1. A life raft comprising a plurality of connected floats, each of said floats including a buoyant block having an X-shaped groove in one face, a plate upon the other face of the block, having a receiving seat formed therein, an )(-shaped brace arranged within said groove, a hollow casing having a flange seated upon the said plate and being further provided with a rib positioned upon said seat and securing rivets arranged through said brace, block, plate and the flange of said casing;

2. A life raft comprising a plurality of connected floats, each of said lioats including a buoyant block having an )(-shaped groove in one face, a plate upon the other face of the block,V having a receiving seat formed therein, anX-sh'apedbrace arranged Within said groove, ahllOW 'casing' having Ya flange Yseat-ed upon the saidyplatefand being further vprovided with a. rib positioned uponesaidfseah securing rivets .arianged through saidE brace, block, plate and `the Harige of said casing;-atthreadedrplugyprovided for vrthe casing whereby the casing may be hermetically sealed, n closure lid arranged for .the casing whereby access may be obtained to "the interior thereof and links conmay be arranged in superposed relations in .barrier formation When not in use.

In testimony whereof I affix niy signa ture.

PIOTR WARMINSKI.

.epies :ofzthis patentfgmayebr uhtainedo xreecents `eaelnffby;addressing fthe Commissioner I;of4 Patents, 

